In recent months, stories about AI replacing jobs have multiplied. But the shockwave is especially sharp across marketing teams. As agencies and in-house comms departments roll out tools that can ideate, write, personalise, schedule and optimise campaigns, many marketers are sounding the alarm.
From cost cut to collision course
A July report claimed more than 10,000 roles were lost because of generative AI [1]. While that number isn’t broken down by function, marketing and PR are among the front-line casualties in 2025 [2].
Look at Gartner: 40 % of CMOs say they now use AI to automate creative tasks and ad operations; 37 % use AI agents or custom bidding algorithms to boost ad spend efficiency. Some 22 % believe generative AI makes them less dependent on agencies for creative strategy. AdExchanger
In marketing circles, the adoption is fast and frenetic. According to SurveyMonkey:
- 88 % of marketers already use AI tools
- 93 % of those say it speeds content creation
- 51 % use AI to optimise content (SEO, emails, etc.)
- 43 % automate repetitive tasks (e.g. scheduling, segmentation) SurveyMonkey
So, the upside is clear: marketers can get more done faster. But that gain comes with trade-offs.
Where things go wrong — or simply decline in value
AI tools are strongest at routine tasks: drafting formats, basic copy, A/B testing, data crunching. But leave them to it, and gaps begin to appear.
- Rebooted campaigns that lack brand voice. AI may misinterpret brand nuance or context.
- Misfires in outreach. Emails may land in spam, or worse—get the messaging tone wrong.
- Hallucinations: AI fabricates details (quotes, sources, facts), something clients will punish harshly.
- Reduced relationship capital. Journalists, influencers and clients often respond better to human connections.
One case is illustrative: some firms swapped human customer service for AI chatbots. But 64 % of people still prefer human interaction. And in 2024, a DPD chatbot infamously swore at customers and called the company “useless.” That kind of slip erodes credibility fast.
Even OpenAI’s CEO has made a bold prediction: 95 % of what marketing agencies and creatives do today will eventually be handled by AI. That’s a provocative forecast—even if it’s not inevitable. CMSWire.com+1
Declining demand, fewer ads, rising exposure
In the UK, jobs with high exposure to AI have seen sharper ad declines. McKinsey notes that job postings for roles heavily exposed to AI and large language models dropped 38 %, compared with a 21 % drop for roles with low exposure. McKinsey & Company
And according to KPMG, about 7 % of tasks within marketing roles are susceptible to automation through generative AI. That doesn’t mean wholesale replacement—but the pressure is there. KPMG Assets
A recent UK task-based index (GAISI) shows that after ChatGPT’s release, job postings in roles with high exposure to generative AI fell by 6.5 %. arXiv
In a poll of marketers, 46 % believe AI will eliminate more marketing roles than it creates. Meanwhile 48 % worry AI might replace their job. Adweek+1
U-turns are emerging — and smart integration is gaining ground
Some of the most vocal advocates of AI are backpedalling. Klarna’s CEO, after cutting staff for AI-driven automation, admitted that service quality dropped — and asked some staff back to restore it.
In the marketing world, the shift is emerging from “replace humans” to “amplify humans.” Reboot Online reports many clients came back after trying to operate purely on AI. They found campaign reach, media relations and brand consistency suffered.
Now the trend is leaning toward hybrid models: AI supports ideation, data analysis, personalisation, and automation. Humans remain in charge of strategy, storytelling, stakeholder relations and brand guardianship.
What it means for marketers today
- Mid- and junior-level roles are most vulnerable. Entry-level copywriters, digital marketers and content assistants are seeing reduced hiring or replacement.
- Credibility, sensitivity and judgment still need humans. AI struggles with nuance, unrest in markets and evolving reputations.
- Reskilling is non-negotiable. Marketers who can handle AI tools well, and who bring strong strategic, creative, relational and oversight skills, will have an edge.
- Metrics and trust matter. Companies that over-automate risk losing clarity in ROI, brand trust and audience connection.